BREAKING NEWS: The Cincinnati Bengals should pursue the following five players in……
The Cincinnati Bengals need to go shopping.
The Bengals need to win this free agency season if they want to be a contender again for the Lombardi Trophy. The Bengals can start preliminary talks with players and their representatives on Monday in an effort to restock at spots that need it most.
For the Bengals, defensive tackle, safety, right tackle, and tight end are the main need positions. The Bengals’ draft plans will be significantly influenced by their actions in free agency. Cincinnati will have a projected $52 million in cap space when it enters free agency.
Joe Burrow, the top cap hit for the Cincinnati Bengals heading into NFL free agency, is $29 million.
$21 million for Tee Higgins
$20 million for Trey Hendrickson
Orlando Brown: sixteen million dollars
$10 million for BJ Hill
Sam Hubbard: Ten million dollars
This year, the Bengals require the departure of at least three starters via free agency. According to their positioning needs, they could target the people listed below.
Five unrestricted NFL players The Bengals may target defensive tackle Grouber Stewart.Previous group: Indianapolis Colts
30 years old
Last contract: $30.7M for three years with a $19M guarantee, with an average yearly salary of $10.2M
Defending tackle The Bengals may target Grover Stewart in the upcoming free agency class.
Because of this, he complements the Bengals: Last season, the Bengals were among the NFL’s worst teams when it came to stopping the run. Cincinnati’s run defense would immediately get better after signing Stewart. Stewart is currently among the finest defensive tackles in the league when it comes to stopping runs.
Out of all interior defensive lineman, Pro Football Focus ranked Stewart as their fifth-best run defender for 2023. Stewart’s effectiveness as a pass rusher inside the defensive line is his lone drawback. He has just nine sacks in seven seasons.
Stewart’s run defense is his greatest asset, and the Bengals need to get better in this area the following season. In the NFL last year, Cincinnati ranked No. 26 against the run. Cincinnati knows how important it is to be consistently strong against the run, especially because they play in the AFC North against some of the top running offenses in the league.
defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins
Previous group:Houston Texans
29 years old
Last deal: $9.7 million for a year with a signing bonus of $7 million
Sheldon Rankins, a defensive tackle, is expected to sign a third NFL deal.
Because of this, he complements the Bengals: The Bengals’ pass rush needs to be more effective. Trey Hendrickson was responsible for 17.5 of the 44 sacks that Cincinnati recorded at the end of 2023. Rankins might provide the Bengals with extra pass rush, since they need it from players other than Hendrickson.
Rankins will receive a contract offer from the Bengals, but despite aging, his output has actually grown. This is his third NFL contract. Rankins was rated 31st among interior defensive lineman in Pro Football Focus’ pass rush rankings.
It seems that Rankins would be willing to sign a one-year contract someplace, based on his previous contract. The Bengals could be intrigued by this. Rankins entered the league in 2018 and has since accumulated 29.5 sacks.
Geno Stone, security
Previous group: Baltimore Ravens
24 years old
Last deal: $1.6 million, one year
Security In the second week of the 2023 NFL season, Geno Stone intercepted Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Reasons for his Bengals fit: Since Stone picked off Joe Burrow in the first meeting between Cincinnati and Baltimore in the 2023 season, the Bengals have firsthand knowledge of Stone’s abilities. In addition to Jordan Battle, a second-year safety, Stone would provide the Bengals with a long-term solution at free safety.
The Bengals need to revamp their secondary after losing Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates in the same summer. After a dismal debut season as a starter, Dax Hill doesn’t seem to be the solve at free safety. The Bengals get familiarity with a player and experience at a position they need by signing Stone.
